World Homeless Day comes to Manchester. Mule talks to Lifeshare, Coffe4Craig and CAN about the crisis in the city.
Manchester City Council has given back to the government a “substantial” amount of funding intended for people falling behind on housing costs after thousands of pounds went unspent in the last two years.
Yet more adult social care cuts are on the way, with Manchester City Council refusing to rule out potential day care centre closures for people with learning and physical disabilities.
The Economist magazine might list Manchester in the top 50 most expensive cities in the world, but the Coalition government’s welfare reforms will see an explosion in homelessness, debt and slum landlords.
Despite rising bills and cuts to winter aid, the UK has pledged to eradicate fuel poverty by 2016. But past government targets to protect vulnerable groups by 2010 have already been missed. And under the Coalition, new schemes are weakening protections and passing on responsibility for eradicating fuel poverty onto energy companies with little incentive to end the problem – and less interest. Sam Cordon reports.
Suicide rates and prescriptions of anti-depressants in Manchester have risen since the onset of recession according to a new report presented to councillors responsible for monitoring health issues.
Thousands marched through the streets of Manchester today in support of public sector strikes called against proposed pension reforms and in opposition to the government’s austerity drive. Trade unionists in the city took part in industrial action involving hundreds of thousands of workers nationwide.
